Favourites Germany, who were runners-up to Switzerland past year, were worked hard in two three-set singles matches, before completing a fine day's work 4-2 4-3 (5-3) in the doubles.

Sakkari, ranked 41st in the world, gained an early break and served for the first set but couldn't capitalise despite several gilt-edged opportunities. "In Switzerland we don't do the tourist stuff, we leave it to the - tourists", said Federer with a smile.

"I am happy in all aspects of my game that things were working - foot work, offensive play, serve, return - it was all there".

He also mentioned how winning any tournament for the first time was always hard, and defending any title was comparatively easier, as you get the nervousness out of the picture in the first win.

Switzerland are the defending champions, Federer and Bencic having won the event in Perth in January 2018.

"I admire everything she's done on and off the court, we are both fierce competitors and we always want to win", he said.

Her appearance in Perth will be her first tournament since her US Open meltdown, where she was handed a series of code violations in her loss to Naomi Osaka in the final.

Hoping for a similar start to the new season under new coach Rainer Schuttler, Kerber took the first set against Muguruza comfortably in the battle of the two former world number ones.

But her singles win ended up being in vain, with the United States suffering a 2-1 defeat to Greece at RAC Arena.

"All the credit is (to) David, coming back from a set down and break down", Zverev said. Serena saved a break point in the following game with a service victor and she won the tie break 7-3 after more than an hour of a great fight.

There was little between the pair in the third set until Zverev surged in the tiebreak to take the match 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7/0).

After the match, the world No. 4 paid tribute to his 36-year-old opponent, who will retire from the sport next year.

The Swiss tennis great who claimed four titles previous year, including his sixth Australian Open trophy, said he is "motivated" for the 2019 tour after having intense off-season preparation.

The shutdown is forcing hundreds of thousands of federal workers and contractors to stay home or work without pay. Trump had said during his campaign that Mexico would pay for his promised wall, but Mexico refuses to do so.

Sreesanth's manager Ronita Krishna Sharma has lashed out at actress Dipika Kakar and has called her the worst victor . The melodramatic "bhai-behan" drama that Dipika and Sreesanth provided to the show seems to have won many hearts.

Trains of South Korea, center left, and of North Korea, center right, are seen at Panmun Station in Kaesong, North Korea. A signboard that pointed to both the South's capital of Seoul and the North's Pyongyang was unveiled as well.

The Avangard missiles are created to fly faster and at higher altitude to avoid missile defense systems. A hypersonic glider is a warhead able to fly through the atmosphere at an exceptionally high speed.

But I definitely didn't think it would cost me my job, knowing that me and the coach had an understanding. Cunningham is the seventh offensive lineman the Cardinals have placed on injured reserve this season.

Last season we dropped points and immediately won again. "When we win I insist they are calm and now it is the same". The bookmakers have made Liverpool rather than City title favourites for the first time this season.

Trump's visit to Iraq came a day after he held a video conference from the Oval Office with military members around the globe. Trump's pay raise was 2.4 percent, in line with similar raises that have been provided every year over the past decade.

A states he is stepping down so that Trump can hire a defense secretary who has views more in line with the president's own. Trump confirmed Mattis' exit in a tweet on Thursday, just a day after announcing he would withdraw U.S. troops from Syria.

911 service disrupted in parts of US
The Massachusetts State Police posted online Friday morning that the outage was resolved and services were up and running again. Texting 911 is one option, and many states have their own emergency service lines you can call should disaster strike.

Japan to resume commercial whaling, but not in Antarctic
Japan will leave the International Whaling Commission, which put a moratorium on commercial whaling in the 1980s. A group of activists animal advocates criticized this decision, Greenpeace called the announcement "insidious".